The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-07-02
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
THE APE AS A USEFUL ANIMAL.

THE APE AS USEFUL ANIMAL.
Apes probably rank next to man in general in
telligence, and, though they lack perseverance,
there seems to be no reason for doubling that they
might be trained to do variety of useful work.
This is the opinion of Madame Clemence Roger,
the French translator Of Darwin, but she points
out that the domesticated apes would require
great quantities of such food as fruit, bread and
eggs, that the process of educating them would
be costly, and that for many generations the eli
mate of Europe would be too severe for them
She suggests that the experiment should be tried
first in tropical countries, where the apes might
aid in cultivating coffee, cocoa and cotton.
ANIMAL AILMENTS.
Heart-disease is an affection to which nine
tenths of the animals in confinement are subject.
Among elephants the most common and fatal of
MANY diseases is rheumatism monkeys and
balloons generally die from bronchial affections
and heart-disease felines, such as lions tigers,
leopards, etc., from dysentery and heart-disease;
deer antelope, etc., suffer most from dysentery
and heart-disease; while wolves, dingoes, foxes,
and other CANNES, seem to be subject to no par
ticular disease. These, at least are the observa-
tions of DR.. Chapman.
sPorLEss SUN.
The minimum in the eleven year sun spot period
was probably reached in 1886. From Oct. 3lst to
Dec 18th, according to Prof Tacchini, the Italian
astronomer, there only six days when any
trace of a spot could be discovered on the solar
disc. and then only single tiny spot was OBJ
VACCINATION RULES.
The merits Of vaccination have been considered
since 1883 by German commission-three men,
bers of which were Observation-Disclosures these
are among the conclusions which have at length
been announced: The period during which vac
cination protects against small pox varies greatly
but as rule all persons should be vaccinated
every ten years; two we'll marked vesicles are
necessary to insure successful protection; ami
NAL vaccine is preferable; no special disease or
increasing death-rae be traced to the practice
of vaccination the operation should not be per-
formed during epidemcs of scarlet-fever, measles,
diphtheria, whooping cough, typhus, erysipelas;
infants should not be vaccnated until three months
old and the greatest in cleaning and disin-
fecting instruments should be observed.
SIZE OF STAR CLUSTERS.
The absolute Dimensions of globular star lus
ter have been studied by Mr.. j. E. Gore, of the
Liverpool Astronomical Society. These clusters
consist of thousands of minute stars, possibly
moving about a common centre of gravity. One
of the most remarkable of these objects is IL
Messier, which Proctor thinks is about equal to
first magnitude star. Yet Herschell estimated
that it is made up of Il, 600 stars. Assuming the
total equal to twice the suns, the average
diameter of each of these components must be
1928 miles, and each star in this wonderful group
may be separated from the next by distance of
5000 million miles
FLOODING THE DESERTS.
The French project of fertiizing the African
deserts by means of artesan wells is reported to
be working admirably. On tract of Is, 600 acres
of worthless land granted by the Bey of Tunis, an
area of 375 acres is already under successful cul
tivation through the aid of the first WELL and two |
other wells are in progress which are expected to |
irrigate 1900 acres.
NATURE oUTDoNE.
The manufacture of rubies has lately reached |
such perfection that the artificial product is often
more valuable than the natural stone. The pro-
cess employed is that of M. Frenzy, who has de-
scribed it to the Paris Academy of Sciences. Dis
carding method discovered by him some years
ago, he now dissolyes alumina in fuoride Of cal
cium, and obtains red crystals of alumna, or per-
feet rubes, which may be made of large size.
DRIFTING SANDS.
Near the sea the shifting of sand by the winds
is familiar sight, and the drifts are often known
to encroach on cultivated fields, forests and viii
lagos. Striking examples are found on Lake
Michigan, where the withered tops of q forest are
visible above sand drift, and in Norfolk, Eng
land where farms and houses have been covered.
The same phenomenon occurs in deserts, the
great sandhills being not only carried about by |
the wind but even forced beyond the roper limits
Of the sandy wastes. The extensive Registrar |
desert in central Afghanistan is reported as being
steadily pushed enthusiastically, and calculations
have shown that its present rate of progress will
cause it to overwhem some of the most fertile |
and prosperous districts of the country in few |
thousand years.
THE OLDEST ANAEsTHETIC.
Carbonic acid, produced by the action of vine
gar on marble, is supposed to have been used as
an anaesthetic by the ancient Egyptians and |
Greeks. M. Oh. Ozanam reports to the Paris |
Biological Society that anaesthesia induced by |
carbonic acid is very complete, may last a long |
time, and-the gas, of course, being mixed with |
airs without danger.
MISCELLANEOUS.
new pharmacopoeia has been issued in Japan. |
It's preparations number AIS, and they are named |
first in Japanese and then in Latin.
The musical kite of the Annamites in Tonkn |
furnishes a favorite amusement for both children
and men. The kite is of peculiar construction, |
and has attached to it reed pipe, into both ends
of which the air rushes, producing a sound that |
is audible to great distance.